Loess Hills National Scenic Byway
Loess Hills National Scenic Byway is a National Scenic Byway in Iowa. Within Iowa it covers roughly 250 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Loess Hills National Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
This byway runs about 220 miles along the Loess Hills of western Iowa, a band of steep, wind-deposited silt bluffs rising above the Missouri River floodplain. Loess this deep is a rare landform — the only comparable hills are in China — and it supports remnant tallgrass prairie that turns gold in autumn. The main route is threaded by numerous marked side loops climbing into the bluffs for sweeping valley overlooks.
- wind-deposited loess bluffs
- Missouri River valley
- remnant tallgrass prairie
- ridge-top overlooks
- ~220 miles
Plan a drive on Loess Hills National Scenic Byway →
What is a National Scenic Byway?
National Scenic Byways are roads recognized at the federal level for at least one outstanding quality — scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational — that gives travelers a reason to seek them out rather than just pass through.